Centuries ago, in a small Dalmatian city of Šibenik, St. Michael's Fortress and Barone Fortress were built to guard the city and its people from enemy attacks. When needed, the fortresses fulfilled their role as guardians of the city and its people, but in the last few years they have a new role - as guardians of city’s culture. They are now known as top cultural events sites and best practice examples of how heritage can reconnect a community. How did these heritage monuments reconnect the community? Through a Friends Club which gathers about 10% of city population – literally aged from 1 to 101! The doors of Šibenik fortresses are wide open to members of Friends Club all year round. St. Michael’s Fortress, with its position in the Old city of Šibenik and an open summer-stage hosts numerous concerts by world famous artists, dance performances and other events. The majority of programmes specially designed for local community and members of Friends Club takes place in the intimate surroundings of Barone Fortress. During summer, Barone’s amphitheater is reserved for various cultural events… Friends Club members particularly enjoy a good film: acclaimed directors, masterful directing, great themes and festival pedigree are a guarantee of a well-spent evening in front of a movie screen under a starry sky. This “fortified friendship” is further strengthened through the inclusion of club members in decision-making on preservation, research and conservation of cultural heritage details in and around the city. In this manner, Šibenik fortresses Friends Club proudly raises the community awareness on the value of heritage and the need to preserve and valorize it.

St. Michael’s fortress is the oldest of four fortresses in Šibenik, dating back in early medieval period, while Barone Fortress was built in mid-17th century, during the War of Crete, outside the city’s historical center. Both fortresses were left for centuries to decay and had no public function until they were revitalized in 2014 (St. Michael’s Fortress) and in 2016 (Barone Fortress). Šibenik fortresses Friends Club was launched in June 2014 by Public Cultural Institution Fortress of Culture Šibenik as an audience development programme and an answer to the challenge of reconnecting the local community with its newly revitalized cultural heritage. Focused on developing and maintaining relationships with its members, the Friends Club aimed to bring cultural heritage closer to those who can and must have multiple benefits from it. Friends Club goal was to develop local audience for cultural events held on the fortresses, raise awareness about the value of cultural heritage and its preservation and create a sense of contribution and ownership of cultural heritage among the local community. Anyone can become a member of Šibenik fortresses Friends Club - membership is not territorially limited; however, the main target group is local population. By the end of 2014 the Club had approximately 600 members. Thanks to the opening of the second revitalized fortress in 2016 in Šibenik (Barone Fortress) and numerous amenities and benefits intended for members, the number of Club members continued to grow. Today, Friends Club has over 4.000 members literally from the age of 1 to 101, which amounts to about 10% of Šibenik’s population (!). Thanks to the aforementioned, Friends Club has become an example of successful community involvement in cultural heritage activities, that is, an example of how heritage can be a catalyst in community development. While St. Michael’s Fortress, with is position in the Old city of Šibenik, is considered a more “touristy” fortress where concerts by world famous artists, dancing performances and similar events are held, the vast majority of the programmes designed for local community and members of Friends Club take place in more intimate surroundings of Barone Fortress. Members have annual free entry to both fortresses where they can have coffee, taste the best of local delicacies or enjoy a sunset with a glass of wine from local wineries – with special discounts. They are entitled to free admission to about 30 special programmes created each season primarily for Club members. This includes an annual concert at St. Michael’s Fortress as a celebration of “Friend's Club Day”, dozens of music and dance performances, promotions, movie nights, educational workshops for children… And an opportunity to take up to four friends who are not in the Club to visit the fortresses. Part of funds gathered from Friends Club membership fees is invested in programmes, and part is being reinvested in preservation, research and conservation of cultural heritage details in and around the city. In this process - members are those who get to select which monuments or sites they would like to see renewed. So far three such actions have been implemented by Public Cultural Institution Fortress of Culture Šibenik with the aim of making members "business partners" and active participants in the functioning of the institution; creators of new content and patrons of heritage. For its members, the Friendship Club card is more than a tell-sign of cultural heritage enthusiast – it represents an annual ticket for unique moments and everlasting memories created with their loved ones at Šibenik’s fortresses, while enjoying in heritage, art, culture... So, it is no wonder that members of the “Friends Club” are the greatest “ambassadors” of their city cultural heritage - in Croatia and around the world. Numerous foreign and domestic tourists visit Šibenik’s fortresses precisely because their friends - locals in Šibenik recommended it.

Anyone can become member of Šibenik fortresses Friends Club - membership is not territorially limited; and the Club has members from different parts of Croatia, as well as from other countries. The main motive of joining and belonging to Friends Cub is the same for all of its members: love towards cultural heritage. Members feel the need to “give back” and preserve the heritage in the community they live in or visit. They accomplish it by becoming a member - and take pride in knowing that the part of their annual fee is invested in the preservation of Šibenik's cultural heritage of their choosing. With this in mind, Public Cultural Institution Fortress of Culture Šibenik constantly works on widening the Friends Club benefits, while simultaneously educating and developing a community that respects and promotes tolerance and diversity. Through programmes for adults and children held at St. Michael’s and Barone Fortress, Friends Club engages and educates local community about cultural heritage topics at the same time seeking feedback and opinion through online and on the spot surveys and discussions. Fortress of Culture Šibenik cooperates with local and state authorities, other cultural institutions in Šibenik and Croatia and its citizens. The institution participates in cross-border projects (with EU and non-EU member states), associations and conferences to ensure the exchange of ideas, good practices and information. All of the aforementioned activities result in new and innovative ways in connecting local community with cultural heritage in Šibenik, county and over the world. Programmes held at the fortresses always support and promote the European dimension and values; one of the examples is the "Wednesdays around the World" film programme which is held every summer since 2016 at an intimate surroundings of Barone fortress. The programme offers the best of European cinema and the screenings are accompanied by guest appearances by film directors, selectors, actors and critics who engage the audience through discussion, motivating them to participate actively in community building and stimulating interest in the topics covered in the films. Through the screenings of European cinema films, the local community of all ages become familiar with European cultures and their social issues which fosters diversity and tolerance. The "Wednesdays around the World" programme also provides film screenings for children and youth. In addition, all screenings are subtitled in Croatian and English thereby extending the practice of watching films of Croatian and European independent cinema not only to the local community, but also beyond the borders of Croatia.